Transmission



Feb. e, 194s.

H. HILL ETAI.

TRANSMISSION Filed Oct. 6, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet l IN VEN TORS HENRY CHILL D. JAcxcs. .FRANK .KM/CAI, JR.

ATTCIRNCY Feb. 6, 1945.A H. c. HILL ETAL. 2,368,835

TRANSMISSION Filed Oct. 6, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 VEN TORS l L l- RANK M'. INCA/n. Jn.

ATTDRNEY Feb. 6, 1945. H. c. HILL Ef A1.

TRANSMISSION Filed 06Tu 6, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS HIL 1..

ATTCIRNEY TRANSMISSION Filed OCT.. 6. 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 ORS . INVENT HENRY C'. HILL i HERMAN D JAcKEs.

FRA K MKlNcAIo, JR.

AIT'TCIHNE Patented Feb. 6, 1945 TRANSMISSION l York Application October 6, 1942,'Seria1No. 461,026

' 13 Claims.

1 This invention relates to a new and improved variable gear driveinA which a shifty from one drive ratio to another is accomplished without any change'in the engagement 'or-disengagement of the elements of the *drive showing in vthe drawings relates to a variable speed drive for engine superchargers'but' obviously the invention is of general application.

In certain prior art vvariable geardevices', in

. shifting fromone gear ratio to another it is nec-` essary to mesh or d e-mesh gears or splines in order to effect a shift, so that it is'rst necessary to bring the coacting gears into speed synchronism. Accordingly, it is an object o1" this invention to provide a gear drive vin which there is no Achange-in the engagement or disengagement of the various gears so that there is no necessity4 in providing'v means to bring about speed synchronism between the gears to be shifted. It is recognized that broadly suchvvariable speed drives are old: However, in such variable -speed drives of theprior art either a one-way clutch is provided to effect a direct drive when the gear drive isinterrupted by a brake or clutch,A or an additional clutch or-brake is provided to effect the direct drive. Both of these prior art constructions have these disadvantages.r The one-'way clutch imposes a shock load onv the drive when it engages. When two brakes or.A clutches are provided it is diflicult' to shift from one speed to another withoutl going through neutral, that is, without interrupting'the drive. Accordingly, it is an object ofths .invention to provide a much simpler variable .speed drive so constructed thatthis one-way clutch or the added brake or clutch and theirinherent'disadvantages are eliminated.

Briey, it is an object of this inventionto provide a variable gear` drive in which a change in .the speed drive ratio is effected by the simple applicationor removal of a braking force tozthe gear drive. It is e, further object of. this invention to provide' a. variable gear drive in which .there is n'o meshing or cie-meshing ofthe gears during the shifting operation. and during normal operation of the drive there are no fricti'onal losses except for the usual bearing and gear teeth losses. Speciically` applicants invention consists of a planetary gear drivein which 'a brakeV means is provided to prevent or permit planetizing ac-V `'The particular I speed thatv the centrifugal force.y acting on said pinions produces a suicient bearing pressure to rictionally lock the pinions from rotation about their journalsfthereby providing a directdrive connection. i l

Further objects of this invention will become apparent Ain readin-g' the annexed .detailed I description in' connection with the' drawings, in

which: L

Fig. I is a sectional view of the invention; Fig; 2 is a `section on theline 2 2 of Fig. 1; Fig.v3.is .a sectional view of a modification; Fig. 4 is a section ontheline 4-4 of Fig. 3; and Fig. 5 is asection on the line 5'-5 of Fig. 4. Referring-to Figs.` lfand 2,v a shaft l0 is driven from the engine tailshaft l2. through'a connection, not shown, and aradially'extending planet pinion-carrying spider M is formedintegraltwith the shaft 10. :A plurality of double `pinions Ni are `carried bythe spider .I.4. These double pinions icompriseintegral coaxialv gears I8 and 20 of which gear 20 ismeshed with fixed reaction gea-r` 22, and gear i8 is meshed with one end of 1a compound annular'` gear 24. The double pinions y I6 thereby provide a' step-up drive ratio between 38 kand these shafts are secured within a cage element 40. The shafts 38 are-inserted through oneside of the cage element, and a shoulder 42 formed on these shafts cooperates with the other side of the `cage to act asa stop.l A ring 414, se-

cured tothe first mentioned side of the cage elementl bybolts 4'6, extends vover the ends ofthe 'shafts 3.8110 hold them inplace Withtheir shouljders 42 inyabutting engagement with the opposite side of the-cage.- 'A lip 4'!` formed on veach shaft cooperates4 with thering 44 to'preventjrotation :ofthe shaftsabout their axes, and'- paps- Vsages d8 provide for owof lubricating oil under pressure to 'the'bearing surfacesmof the double pinions- 28 on their journals.:

--1 An. engine housingportioni is provided with an annular axial extension 52 which surrounds the cageelernent 4D, and with'a radial extension .54,1 `Annuler clutch ,plates 58 aresplined to` the exterior of the cage element 4D, as at 58, between the cage element and housing extension 52. Intermediate these plates are inner annular plates 68 splned to the extension 52, and an as for example, the engine lubricating oil sys-l tem, through a valve 10. When this valve is in e open position, as illustrated by the full lines in Fig. 1, fluid is admitted to the chamber 66 behind the annular piston 64. The piston is there- 'by forced to the right to frictionally clamp the clutch plates together thereby locking the cage element 40 in position, When the control valve brake plates 56 and 60 are released before the speed of the output gear 32 can slip below the speed of the input gear, the pinion gears must pass through a static condition relative to their axes. In view of these considerations, when the brake plates 56, and 60 are released, the system is inherently' stable in the low speed, direct drive condition. It should alsobe noted that in addition to the friction induced by the centrifugal force, gear tooth friction will also help to lock theV pinions. However, this latter factor is negligible, particularly at high engine speeds, as compared lto the effect of the centrifugal force acting on the pinion.

summarizing the operation of the variable speed drive, it should be noted that in high speed the cage element 40 is locked in position 10 is closed, as shown by its dotted line, position in Fig.. 1, fluid is permitted to drain 'from the annular chamber 66 into drain passage 12 to release the clutch plates, thereby permittingrotation of the cage element 40. A plurality of spring means 14 may be provided to help separate the clutch platesk when the fluid pressure is thus shut off.

When clutch plates 56 and Ellr are cl-amped together, the annular cage element 4Df'and associated journals 38 for the double pinions 28 are held fixed relative to the engine frame to thereby provide a step-up drive from the input gear 24 to the output gear 32 through the double pinions 28. When the uid pressure in annular chamber 65 is relieved, the clutch plates 56 and 60 no longer act as a friction brake to prevent rotation of the cage element 40. 'I'hen with any load at all on the output gear 32, the cage element and its associated pinions would normally be expected to simply planetize about this output gear. However, if the input gear 24 is rotated at a sufficiently high speed, then the centrifugal force resulting from the high speed rotation of the cage element, will be sufficiently large to cause high bearing loads between 'the double pinions 28 and their journals to thereby produce a sufficient frictional force between said pinions and journals to prevent rotation of these double pinions about their journals. With double pinions 28 thus locked about their journals 38, a direct one-to-one drive is provided vbetween input gear 24 and output gear 32. In other words, when the clutch plates 56 and 60 Vare released, the speed of the output gear 32 and shaft -36 decreases and the pinion cage element 40 gradually accelerates until they all 'rotate 4at the'V I simultaneously the torque tendingl to slip thecage will decrease. In fact, with any slip, the pressure on the Ipinion bearings'will increase as the square of the speed of the'cage and the torque tendency to slip the cage will decrease as the square of the speed of the output gear. Also, before there can be any slip, the direction of rotation of the pinion gears about their axes must reverse from their direction of rotation during the high speed kdrive. In other words, when by the brake or clutch plates 56 and 60 so that the double pinions 28 provide a step-up Adrive ratio between the input gear 24 and the output gear 32. However, when the cage element `is released, this 'element will immediately begin to planetize as the output gear slows down. Because of the high speed rotation, the centrifugal force acting on each pinion is sufficient to provide bearing loads of such magnitude as to fricample,this friction force varies as the weight of the pinions, the number of pinions, the radial distance to the pinion axis,` the diameter of the pinion journals, the coe'icient of vfriction between the pinions and their journals, and as the square of the speed-of rotation of the cage element.

It should also be noted that in low gear a oneto-one drive ratio is obtained and the whole gearset revolves as a unit with the pinions locked about their journals. That is, in low gear the gearset in effect provides a splined connection between the input and output gears 24 and 32. In high gear the pinion cage element is stationary so that the pinions are not subjected to any centrifugal force. Therefore, in high gear the friction losses are only those normal in any gearset.V It is only during the short interval of shifting that any appreciable friction loss occurs. Thus, in shiftingfrom high to low there will be some friction loss in the pinion bearings while in shifting from low to high there will be some frictionr loss in the clutch brake plates 56 and 60. Therefore, it will be seen that applicants have provided a very simple and highly efficient variable speed drive At this point it should be further noted that since the bear-ings of the double pinions are connected with a source of lubricating `oil under pressure, the variable gear drive can be run indefinitely in a slipping condition without any danger of burning up. Thus, at sufficiently low speeds the gear drive could be 'run at various degrees of slip similar to a fluid coupling, by providing means to vary the amount of pinion friction. 5

The variable ratio gearset illustrated in Figs. l and 2 and as described above provides a two speed drive. It seems obvious that any number of such gear of a double pinion |28.

ases-,sas

. 3'.. Connectgboth chambers to a source ofi-luid gearsets could lbel connected in series'. to provide any desired number of drive: ratios. Thus, in Figs. 3 to 5 two such gearsetsI are connected in series so as to provide either a three or a four- -spider ||4 is formed. integral with the shaft |10. A plurality of double pinionsv ||6 are carriedr by the annular spider |14., These doubleA pinions comprise integral coaxial gears H8, |20, of which gear is meshed with a fixed internal gear |22, and gear 'H8 is` meshedy with a compound annular gear |24. As pointed out in connection with Figs. 1 and 2, this structure is conventional and forms no part of the invention.

The other end of compound gear |24 is formed 'with internal gear'teeth |25' engaging a plurality of pinion gears |26 each of which constitutes one The other gear |30 of each double pinion |28 is integral and coaxial with the gear |26 and` is meshed with a compound internal gear- |32. The other end of gear |32 is also formed as an internal gear and engages a plurality of pinion gears |34 each of which constitutes one gear over a doubleY pinion |36. 'Ihe other gear |38 of .each double pinion |736 is integral and coaxial with the -gear |34 `and is meshed with an internal gear |40 carried by 'the output or supercharger impeller shaft |42. Journals |44 and |46 are provided for each of the double pinions |28 and |36, respectively, and these journals are carried by annular cage members |48 and |50, respectively. For purposes of assembly, each cage member is formed in three sections |52, |54 and |56, secured together by bolts |58 as best seen in Fig. 5.

An engine housing portion |60 is provided With an annular axial extension |62 surrounding the cage members |48 and |50. Annular clutch 'plates |64 and |65 extend between the cage members |48 and |50 and theengine frame extension |62 and are splined to the cage member portions |56 as at |66. Intermediate these plates |64 and |65 are inner clutch plates |68 and |69, respectively, splined to the engine housing extension |62. mounted about the engine housing extension |62 .to form annular chambers |14 and |16, respectively. Fluid passages |18 and |88 are provided to connect said chambers |14 and |16, respectively, either with a source of fluid pressure or to a drain passage. yA valve similar tolvalve` 10 of Fig. 1 may be provided in each of the fluidpasi. sages |18 and |80 and a unitary controlk member may be provided to operate both. of these valves. Instead of providinga single valve `in each of the passages |18 and |80, a single multif-port valve may be provided for connection to both of these passages. Obviously, this valve structure forms no part of the present invention and any suitable valve may be used. The valve structure should provide for each of the following four conditions:

l. Connect chamber |14 with a source of uid pressure and chamber |16 to a drain passage.

2. Connect chamber |16 to a source of uid pressure and chamber |14 to adrain passage.

Annular piston members |10 and |12 are Q tionally Alocked in position about their journalsthereby providing a direct drive betweengears f pressure.vr i

4. Connect' bothchambersto a drain passage. Stop plates and I 84 are provided so that admission of uid pressure behindl either of the pistons, for exampleV piston |10, merely serves to clamp plates |64 and |68 together Without effectingY the condition of clutch plates |65 and |69 and vice versa.`

The operation oi.v Figs. 3 to 5 is similar to that of Figs. 1 and'2. Clutch or brake plates |64 and |88 are adapted either to permit or to prevent rotationof the cage member- |48 to thereby provide two possible speeds for gear |32. Thus, whenthe cage member |48 rotatesat a sufficiently high speed the double pinions |28 become fric- |24 and |32,.and when the clutch*k plates |64 and |68 lock the cage member,v a step-up Ydrive ratio is provided between gears |24 and |32 through thepinion gears |26 and |30. Similarly, depending onwhether clutch plates |65 and |69 permit or prevent rotation of the cage member |50, double pinions |36 provideI a direct drive` from` gear |32 to gear |40 or a step-up drive ratio through the pinion gears |34 and |38. Thus, if the gear ratio of each group of double pinions |28 and` modifications may be made therein without `departing from the spirit or scope thereof. We aim in the appended claims to cover all such modifications and changes. We claim as our invention: i

- l. In, a variable ratio gear drive, a driving member, a coaxial driven member, annular means concentrically mounted about said members and' carrying a plurality of double pinions circumferentially spaced about said members, each of. said double pinions comprising two integral gears each geared to one of said members respectively, and brake means selectively operable to prevent, or permitA rotation of said annular pinion carrier,

said driving member having a-speed of rotation such thaty when said brake means; permits rotation of said annular pinion carrier, said pinion carrier rotates at ay speed su'iciently high that the Vcentrifugal forcer on said pinions results in a frictional force between said pinions and their bearings suiiicient to prevent rotation of said pinions relative to their bearings.

2. In a variable ratio gear drive, a driving member, a coaxial driven membenmeansconcentric with said members,` a double pinion carried by saidmeans comprising two integral gears of different diameter, each in meshing engagement with one of said members, respectively, `and brake means selectively operable to preventi'oi permit rotation of` said pinion carrying means, whereby whenl said brake means Iprevents rota tion of said means a gear drive is provided between said members through said double pinion gears, and when said brake means permits rotation of said pinion carrying means said driving member rotates said pinion carrying means ata speedsuiciently high thatA the centrifugal force on. said pinion results iny a frictional forceube.-

means selectively operable to prevent or permit` rotation of said pinion carrying means, whereby when said brake means prevents rotationy of said means, a gear drive is provided between said members through said double pinion gears, said driving member having a speed of rotation such that when said brake means permits rotation of said pinion carrying means, said means rotates at a speed suiciently high that the centrifugal force on said pinion results in a frictional force between said pinions and their bearings sufiicient to overcome the torque tending to cause rotation of said pinions about theirv bearings.

4. In a variable ratio gear drive, a lhigh speed driving member, a coaxial driven member, annular means yconcentric with said members and carrying a plurality of double pinions with their axes parallel to said members, each of said double pinions comprising two integral coaxial gears each geared to one of said members respectively, and brake means selectively operable to prevent or permit rotation of said annular pinion'r carrier, whereby when said brake means prevents rotation of said pinion carrier a gear drive is provided between said members through said double pinion gears, and when said brake means permits rotation of said pinion carrier said driving member rotates said carrier at a sufficiently high speed that the centrifugal force on said pinions results in aA frictional force'between said pinions and their bearings suiiicient toI prevent rotation of saidpinions relative to their bearings thereby providing a direct drive between said members. 'f

5. In a variable ratio gear drive, a high speed driving member, a coaxial driven member, annular means concentric with said members, a plurality of double pinions carried by said means and having their bearing axes parallel to said members, each of said double pinions comprising two integral coaxial gears each geared to one of said members respectively, and brake means selectively operable to prevent or permit rotation of said element, whereby when said brake means prevents rotation of said annular means a gear drive is provided between said members through said double pinion gears, and when said brake means permits rotation of said annular means, said driving member rotates said carrier at a sufficiently high speed that the centrifugal force on said pinions results in a frictional force between said pinions and their bearings sufficient to restrain rotation of said pinions about their bearings to thereby provide a second drive ratio between .said members.

6. In a variable ratio gear drive, a high speed driving member, a coaxial driven member, an-

nular means concentric with said members, a plurality of pinion means carried by said annular means, said pinion means being circumferent1ally dispo-sed about said members and each geared to both said members, and brake means selectively Voperable to prevent or permit ,rotation of said annular means, whereby when saidbrake'means prevents rotation ofsaid annular means a step'f *up drive ratio is provided between said members through said pinion means, and when said brake means permits rotation of said annular means the centrifugal force acting on said pinion means from rotation of said annular means produces sufficient friction restraining rotation of said pinion means about their bearings t0 provide a second drive ratio between said members.

'7. In a multi-speed transmission, a high speed driving member, a coaxial driven member, a variable gear drive between said members comprising a plurality of double pinions circumferentially disposed about said members and each consistingv of two integral coaxial gears having their bearing axes parallel to said members, and selectively operable brake means associated'with said pinions, said driving member compelling rotation of said' pinions about their bearings ywhen the brake means is applied to provide one drive ratio between said members, and said driving member rotating at suchspeed that when the brake means is released, said pinions planetize about the axes of said-members at a speed suiiiciently high that the centrifugal vforce on 'said' pinions results in a frictional force between their bearings suiicient to lock said pinions against rotation about their bearin-gs thereby to provide a direct drive between said members.

8. In a multi-speed transmission, coaxial driving and driven members, planetary gear means drivablyv connected between said members and including one or more pinions havin-g their'respective axes oiset from the axis of said members,v and means selectively operable to prevent or permit rotation of said pinions about the axis of said members, said driving member having a speed of rotation such that when said pinions are freed for rotation about the axis of said members, the centrifugal force on said pinions resulting from such rotation produces suicient friction between said pinions and their bearings to prevent rotation of said pinions relative to their bearings.

9. In a multi-speed transmission, coaxial driving and driven members, planetary gear means drivably connected between said members and including one or more pinions having their respective axes offset from the axis of said members, and means selectively operable to prevent or permit rotation of said pinions about the axis of said members, said driving memberl having a-speed of rotation such that when said pinions are freed for rotation about the axis ofv said members, the centrifugal force on said pinions resulting from such rotation produces suicient friction between said pinions and their bearings to prevent rotation of said pinions relative to their bearings, said pinions when prevented from rotating about the axis of said members providing a step-up drive ratio between said members.

10. Ina multi-speed transmission, coaxial driving and driven members, planetary gear mechanism drivably connected between said members and including one or more pinions disposed about the axis of said members, said planetary gear mechanism also including means associated with said pinions and capable of rotating about the axis'of said members, means selectively operable to prevent or permit rotation of said rst-named means about the axis of said members, said driving member having a speed of rotation such that when said'iirst-named means is freed for rotation about the axis of said members, the centrifugal force on said pinions produces suiiicient friction betweenVA said pinions-and their bearings to preto said members and pinion means carried thereby about the axis of said members, and means selectively operable to prevent or permit rotation of said carrying means, said pinion means providing a step-up drive ratio between said members when said carrying means is prevented from rotating and when said carrying kmeans is freed for rotation, the centrifugal force `on said pinion means resulting from such rotation produces suflicient friction between saidkpinion `means and their bearings to prevent rotation of said Ypinion means relative to their respective axes to provide a direct drive between said members;

12. In a multi-speed transmission, coaxial drive ing and driven members, a pair of annular means concentric therewith, pinion means carried by one of said annular members and geared to said driving'member and pinion means carried one annular member to the pinion means on said other annular member, and means selectively operable to prevent or permit rotation-of either of said annular members, each of said 'pinion means providing a step-up drive ratio when its associated annular member is prevented from rotating and when eithercf said annular membersfis freed for rotation, the centrifugal force on its associated pinion means resulting fro'm such rotation produces sufcient 'friction between said pinion means and 'their bearings-to prevent rotation of said pinion means relative to their respective axes.

13. In a multi-speed transmission, co-axial' driving and driven members, planetary gear means interposed between said mem-bers and in cluding one or morepinions, the axis of each of said direct drive ratio such that they rotate at l progressively increasing speed about the axis of and in the same rotative direction as said members and at the same time said pinions rotate at a progressively decreasing speed about their own respective axes until said pinions attain a static condition relative to their own respective axes, whereupon the centrifugal `force caused by rotation of said pinions about the axis of said members is effective to subject said pinions to a force operative to maintain said pinions `in said static condition relative toY their own respective axes,- thereby providing said direct drive ratio.

HENRY C. HILL. HERMAN D. JACKES.` FRANK M. KINCAID, JR. 

